


Thalassophobia

by Mizuphae



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drowning, Family Dynamics, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, It's set in a separate hardcore world of Phil's, Protective Philza, Protective Technoblade, Sickfic, Technoblade Hears Voices (Dream SMP), Technoblade can't swim, Technoblade is a Pigman Hybrid, Technoblade-centric (Dream SMP), Whump, Yes that says pigman not piglin, i will fight anyone who says that he's a piglin, plus tubbo, sleepy bois inc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 11:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29749533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizuphae/pseuds/Mizuphae
Summary: When someone falls victim to drowning, after a certain amount of time, their panic is replaced with a feeling of euphoria and peace before they reach unconsciousness.There's no such calmness or tranquility for Technoblade.
Relationships: Technoblade & Philza, Technoblade & TommyInnit, Tubbo & Technoblade, Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Philza, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade
Comments: 4
Kudos: 103





	Thalassophobia

**Author's Note:**

  * For [khaoticwoes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/khaoticwoes/gifts).



> HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY NK! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH 
> 
> And thank you robinlikeitshot for betaing, you're a rockstar

“Tommy,” Wilbur sighed, rolling his eyes. “Leave Tubbo alone, will you?”

Tommy snorted and defiantly crossed his arms. “He’s _fine_.”

Tubbo only smiled. Wilbur groaned, looking to Techno for support who has been quietly walking beside them and fidgeting with his sleeve. His breathing was a bit off and quicker than usual as he glanced at the river that they were walking beside.

~~~

_Phil propped himself up against the kitchen counter after handing Tubbo a couple of reusable plastic containers so that he could put their dinner’s leftovers away. Tubbo chirped out his thanks and Phil smiled in return. “‘Course, mate.”_

_Techno silently handed the last soapy plate to Wilbur, who was rinsing it with scalding hot water. Phil used to always chide him for using such hot water since it left his hands burning red but he’d eventually conceded when Wilbur kept waving off his worries, saying that he liked the heat and that it was better for killing bacteria._

_Tommy pouted as he cleaned the dining table, spraying it with some cleaning spray Phil made and wiping it down with a cloth. He was originally supposed to be on dish duty, but he wouldn’t stop flinging soap foam at everyone—despite their threats to murder him at the next chance they got. Phil ended up dragging him away from the sink and asking Techno to give Tommy the spray bottle and washcloth, point him in the direction of the wooden table, and take the boy’s place, washing dishes beside Wilbur._

_“After you lot finish, go out for a walk,” Phil told them, helping Tubbo put the lids on the tupperware. “Better for your metabolism and shit.”_

_“Are you coming with, Phil?” Wilbur cocked his head, carefully placing the plate he was holding onto the drying rack before grabbing the rag that hung beside the oven to dry his hands, slightlly wrinkled and reddened from the chore._

_“Nah.” Phil shook his head as Tubbo stacked the containers into a teetering tower that he carefully balanced in his arms before precariously walking over to the fridge. Phil cracked his knuckles. “I’m going to get to work on designing that greenhouse I was telling you about. Try not to get into too much trouble and be home before dark, okay?” He grimaced before continuing, “Remember that this is a hardcore world. Don’t wanna lose any of you.”_

_“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Tommy rolled his eyes, tossing the cloth onto a shelf. “We know, old man.”_

_Phil turned his steely gaze onto Tommy. “Behave, don’t be a little shit.” His eyes softened as he turned to Techno who finished wiping his hands and headed for his red cloak. “Make sure none of them die, Techno,” he said humorously to his pink-haired friend. “Good luck, you’ll need it.”_

_Chuckling softly, Techno clipped his cloak around his shoulders and reached for his sword. “Thanks, I’m sure I will._

~~~

“C’mon, Techno,” Wilbur playfully bumped shoulders with his older brother, who turned away from the river, hands slightly shaky as he fingered the seams of his cloak. He had hemmed it himself. “Aren’t I right?”

“Hmm? What?”

Wilbur groaned dramatically before jabbing his thumb in the direction of Tubbo and Tommy. “Tommy’s too hard on Tubbo. What do you think?”

He pressed a finger in between Wilbur’s eyebrows who jerked backward in surprise. Techno snorted in amusement before replying, “Your eyebrows are furrowed. If you keep them there, they’ll stay like that forever.”

“Shut up.” Wilbur smacked his hand away, scowling as he readjusted his coat. “That’s a myth, it isn’t real.”

“Sure,” Techno hummed. He looked over his shoulder at the running water beside them. “I’m oldest. I know more than you.”

“By _two_ minutes,” Wilbur squawked, punching Techno in the shoulder who simply pushed his fist off of his arm.

“Still two more minutes of knowledge. Two minutes faster, smarter, and better than you.”

Wilbur only grumpily huffed and stopped where he was standing as he realized Tommy and Tubbo were lagging behind and yet again arguing over… something. “Are you both alright over there?” He called over his shoulder, sticking his hands in the front pockets of his coat. 

Waiting for the two kids to catch up, Techno sighed and looked into the river. “Quiet,” he grumbled to the voices that shouted in his head, taunting him for his irrational fear. 

They laughed at him for being afraid of what lay beside him, but can you blame him? He hates, _hates_ oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, all of those sorts. They reminded him too much of the Nether’s version: fiery pits and rivers of lava that have killed so many and drowned its victims in liquid fire. As a pigman hybrid, he’s seen far too many of his kind die to the pits. No, pigmen aren’t harmed by the fire (although he is, as a hybrid albeit less), but the lava was far too thick for the pigmen to swim out of and get to safety. 

It was for this reason why he barely knows how to swim. Every time his body fully sunk into the water, panic rushed through him as his brain immediately assumed he was drowning and activated its flight-or-fight response. Phil had asked him to at least figure out how to doggy-paddle, but that was about it. Nonetheless, the voices mercilessly taunt him, and he resigned himself to his fate.

“Fuck!” 

Techno whipped around at Tommy’s loud screech, only to see Tubbo tumbling into the rushing river, attempting to grip at the rocks or any surface that he can clutch onto but failing as the river ripped him away from the rest of the group. 

Without a moment of thought or hesitation, Techno unbuckled the belt that held his sword’s sheath at his side and launched himself into the river after Tubbo, ignoring Wilbur and Tommy’s cries behind him. 

“Tubbo!” he shrieked as he reached for the boy, keeping his eyes locked on the bright green shirt. 

The voices shouted at him to hurry and he did his best to ignore them, feeling utterly relieved as his hand curled around the fabric of a wet shirt.

“Techno!” Tubbo shouted as Techno dragged him closer by his shirt, leaning his weight against Techno. Fuck, they really should’ve worked on their swimming abilities more. He forced his mind away from the creeping anxiety every time the water crashed over his head, reminding himself and the voices that Tubbo _must_ come first before the mental breakdown that was sure to follow after this experience.

“You alright?”

“Yeah!”

“Blade!” Techno glanced up to see Tommy pointing at something behind him that he couldn’t see. 

His head automatically turned to see what Tommy was pointing at and— _yes!_ Techno spotted a jutted-out ledge that seemed just close enough that Tubbo can get to it… hopefully.

“Okay, Tubbo,” he puffed, his legs kicking furiously to keep him up. But they gave for a split second and he dipped into the water slightly, choking on the water he’d accidentally inhaled once he reached the surface once again. “You’re gonna—you’re gonna jump out by launchin’ yourself off of me on the count of three.” He accidentally inhaled water through his nose as he spoke and it _burned_. Got it?”

“Yeah,” Tubbo nodded, coughing as he clung to Techno’s shoulders. “You’ll get out, right? Right after me?”

Techno opened his mouth to reply, but water rushed into his mouth instead and he nearly retched from both disgust and gag reflex. He gasped for breath, desperately kicking at the water and feeling utterly exhausted. 

“Techno?” Tubbo yelled over the sounds of the running river, voice high-pitched and panicking at his lack of response. 

“Yeah,” Techno coughed out hoarsely, attempting a reassuring smile. It looked more like a grimace. “Ready?” At Tubbo’s determined nod, he grunted out, “Three, two, one!”

The water stung Techno’s eyes and he reflexively squeezed them shut as Tubbo ended up at the edge of the river (and on solid land, thank god), gasping for air as Tommy and Wilbur rushed to his side. An overwhelming sense of relief washed over him as his shoulders relaxed minisculely, glad that he was able to get Tubbo out before—

”Shit!” He cried out as he was brought back under the water, the current pulling him in. His eyes stung and he reflexively coughed but regretted it when dirty water entered his mouth as well. Techno kicked at the floor, trying to find purchase on the ground so that he could attempt to get out, but the surface was far too slippery for his boots to get any traction and he was horrified to find himself sinking and being carried by the river.

Barely within the range of his increasingly limited vision, Teche could see Tommy running along the side of the river with Wilbur only a couple of steps behind him. A worry wormed into his mind that Tommy was running too close to the edge and that he could fall in and _no_ , Techno doesn’t know if he could save him too! 

He had never more wished he was able to swim as he wildly flailed his arms in the violent waters, finding the river to be much deeper than he had expected. Realizing his boots were only weighing him down, Techno struggled to reach down and desperately fumble with their laces so he could properly kick them off, only having mild success with one boot, the other refused to come off in his hurry.

The voices screamed for his cloak to be removed as well, calling him an idiot and a whole other assortment of insults that he pretended didn’t affect him. He frantically grasped at his cloak, suddenly aware of how heavy it was and how much it was weighing him down. Panic flooded his body but he gritted his teeth, attempting to tamp it down as he continued to thrash in the rough waters. His fingers were too shaky and weren’t cooperating enough to allow him to unhook the chain that kept his cloak around his shoulders, and he was soon forced to give up as his arms gave in and lost any energy to help in his endeavors.

The water rushed over his head and he couldn’t get back up and he can’t breathe, _he can’t breathe, he can’t breathe, he can’t breathe, he can’t breathe—_

 _I’m so fucked_ , he thought to himself as adrenaline rushed through his body. He still couldn’t get his cloak off. What was once a source of comfort that doubled as a protection against enemies and a heavy weighted blanket that both gave him warmth (he’s always cold, _so cold_ since he left the nether) and relief from what seemed to be constant tension in his muscles, was now an assistant to his potential _death_. And he didn’t want to admit it but, holy shit, he’s so scared he’s going to die right now.

He bobbed back up to the surface and was forcefully pulled out of his thoughts when he faintly heard Wilbur shout “Techno!”, his voice almost getting lost in the roaring waters that surrounded him. He blearily saw the man lean over the river with a long branch that he hovered just within his arm’s reach. “Grab on!”

Techno gasped for another breath of air before lunging at the branch, relief blatant on his face as he successfully managed to get a hold of the branch and allowed himself to be pulled back to shore.

“Oh my fucking god, Techno,” Wilbur breathed out, pulling Techno roughly back onto the grassy land by the very collar of his shirt. The drenched man ignored the rocks and pebbles that dug into his wet clothes, choked laughter bubbling up hysterically at the disaster that had just occurred. “Oh my fuck, Techno, don’t you fucking _dare_ almost die again. I will kill you.”

“I—“ Techno cut himself off and turned away to barf, disgusted by the amount of water that rose out of his stomach.

The brunet grimaced and hesitantly reached over to rub his back as he heaved. “You alright, mate?”

Techno shook his head as he wiped his mouth, rolling over to lay on the ground, far too exhausted to get up at the moment. He coughed before croaking out, “Is—is Tubbo okay?”.

“Yep.” Wilbur nodded, turning his head to see Tommy and Tubbo walking towards them. After a couple of moments of contemplation, he let his body drop loosely to the ground beside Techno. His voice softened and quieted. “You really scared me there.”

“Yeah?” Techno half-heartedly quirked his lips. His hands were still shaking. At least it was for good reason: the icy cold water, rather than just his irrational fear. “Scared me too.”

“No, seriously.” Wilbur picked at his fingernails. “I was really afraid we’d lost you. What would we do without you?”

“Regress to prokaryote-level of existence?”

“Oh, shut up,” Wilbur laughed, shoving Techno’s shoulder.

“Ow,” he deadpanned.

Techno took a deep breath of the fresh air as Wilbur stared up at the sky, hands folded behind his head. “Thank you for saving Tubbo. I know how you feel about water.”

“Well,” Techno started, a pinched look on his face. “I wasn’t going to leave him to _drown_.”

“But still.” Wilbur huffed out an exasperated chuckle. “Just take the thanks, man.”

“Okay, okay. Of course. I’d do it again.”

Despite how much Techno detested being surrounded in the body of water, the pressure of water against his skin faintly reminding him of the heavy lava that would have suffocated him to death if he didn’t burn alive, he knew that he would do it all over again. He would suffer through it a hundred more times if it meant that he could keep everyone safe. He would die for them without a moment of hesitation.

He’d do anything. Anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, yes, I know that the agreed-upon headcanon for Technoblade is that he is a piglin. HOWEVER, I have a theory that he's a pigman and if you think about it, him being a pigman makes A LOT more sense. Please consider it as it might interest you. Here's my mini-essay/rant on it on Tumblr: <https://mizuphae.tumblr.com/post/644331393599553536/technoblade-is-not-a-piglin>
> 
> Thanks for reading and kudos & comments are very much appreciated. The second chapter should come out soon and have an awesome day/night <3


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